Rail-joint.



No. 784,260. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905. JLA. HAMILTON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9 1904.

WITNESSES INVEIHTOR UNITED STATES Patented March 7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,260, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed September 9, 1904. Serial No. 223.900.

1") all whmn/ it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. HAMILTON, a resident of Duquesne, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail- Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

il l y invention relates to rail-joints, and has for its object to provide a simple, economical, and effective means of holdingthe rails at their joints, as well as one which will do away with the ordinary splice-bars and connecting-bolts and will overcome all liability of the rocking of the rails.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct and use my improved rail-joint, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a portion of a track and having my improved railjoint applied thereto. Fig. 2 is. a cross-section of one of the rails on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a like view on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 1 shows a cross-section -of the rail at a point where the flange or base is cut away. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central section of the chair for the rails. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the rails at the end for forming the joint.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

Mounted upon the ties a is the plate or chair 1, which is provided with the flanges 2, extending upwardly and on each side from the body 3 of said chair 1, so as to form the seat 4 between them, and extending through said side flanges 2 and at each end of said chair 1 are the cut-in seats or openings 5. Extending up from the side flanges 2 and body 3 of the chair 1 are the supporting-lugs 6 and 6,

opening or space 7.

The rails 8 are adapted to fit within the chair 1, and such rails have their flanges 9 cut away flush with the web 10 and adjacent to their abutting ends 8 to form the openings 11 for the reception of the supporting-lugs 6 6 and the lugs or flanged portions 9 at the abutting ends 8 of said rails beyond said openings 11 and flanges 9, while the heads 12 of said rails are adapted to rest upon the upper ends 6" of said supporting-lugs 6 and 6.

The manner of forming and operating my improved rail-joint is follows: The chair 1 is laid over and between the ties a, and the rails 8 are each placed within said chair by passing the openings 11 in the flanges 9 of said rails down over the supporting-lugs 6 and 6 on said chair 1, which will allow the webs 10 of said rails 8 and adjacent to said openings 11 to fit within the spaces 7 between said lugs 6 and 6, while the flanges 9 and portions 9 of said rails beyond said openings therein will rest upon the body 3 of said chair and within the seat t, formed on said chair 1 by the side flanges 2 thereon and the body 3 thereof. When the rails 8 are thus in position, the heads 12 of said rails will be in contact with and rest upon the upper ends 6 of the supporting-lugs 6 and 6, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2, and the outer edges 9 of the flanges 9 on the rails 8 will abut against the side flanges 2 on the chair 1, as shown at 2 in said Fig. 2. As soon as the said rails 8 are thus placed in position on the chair 1 the spikes 7/ are driven down into the ties a and through the openings 5 in the side flanges 2 of said chair, so that when said spikes are driven to place the heads 5 on the same will rest upon said side flanges 2 and upon the flanges 9 of said rails 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will thus be seen that in the use of my improved rail-joint the parts composing the same are easily and quickly placed in position, for after the chair is placed upon the ties the rails are simply dropped into position within the chair and then the spikes are driven down against said rails and chair. It will also be seen that the rails are firmly sealed and fastened within the chair, and such rails will be strongly supported by said chair and the lugs thereon at all times, while ample provision is made for their expansion and contraction in a longitudinal direction, thereby relieving the joint of all strain and at the same time enabling the rails to be securely locked therein.

Having thus fully described my improved rail-joint, what I claim as my invention, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

, 1. In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having the flanges thereof cut away to the face of the Web, one at each side to form openings adjacent to the abutting ends of said rails and flanged portions on each side of said openings, of a plate fitting under the flanged portions of said rails for supporting the same, and lugs extending up from said plate and through the openings in said rail-flanges for supporting the heads of the rails.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having the flanges thereof cut away to the face of the web on each side to form openings adjacent to the abutting ends of said rails and flanged portions on each side of said openings, of a plate fitting under said rails and having a seat therein for the flanged portions of said rails, and lugs extending up from said plate and through the openings in said railflanges for supporting the heads of the rails.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having the flanges thereof cut away to the face of the web on each side to form openings adjacent to the abutting ends of said rails and flanged portions on each side of said openings, of a plate fitting under rails and having side flanges thereon for forming a seat for said rail-flanges and to bear against the same, and lugs extending up from said plate and through the openings in said rail-flanges for supporting the heads of the rails.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination with the ties, of rails having the flanges thereof cut away to the face of the web on each side to form openings adjacent to the abutting ends of said rails and flanged portions on each side of said openings, a plate fitting under said rails "and having side flanges thereon for forming a seat for said rail-flanges and to bear against the same, lugs extending up from said plate and through the openings in the rail-flanges for supporting the heads of the rails, and spikes passing through openings in said side flanges and into said ties to enable the spikeheads to engage with said side flanges and rail-flanges.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOSEPH A. HAMILTON, have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH A. HAMILTON.

IVitnesses:

P. A. KILLeALLoN, W. C. RUPP. 

